I still get chills when I think about it…..
…in the middle of the woods in Germany….
Laughing and joking with my buddies we were talking about how the junior enlisted (privates thru specialist) do all the work and what would happen if we decided to play a practical joke on the senior Command…..I was setting a perimeter of concertina and barbed wire around our base camp when our 1SG sent an urgent message and called us all in. We didn’t even get into a classic military formation; we just huddled around his tent. “Company, we may have to pack up early…..” We suddenly heard a crackling of a phone…our Operations Sgt was on the phone with his wife when he put the phone on speaker for all of us to hear. We all diverted our attention to the phone and his wife’s voice….”they think it was a crop duster thingy plane that hit the tower on accident…people are going berserk trying to figure it out, wait…OH MY GOD!!…OH MY GOD!!….OH MY GOD!! ANOTHER PLANE HIT THE OTHER TOWER….OH MY GOD…IT JUST HAPPENED RIGHT NOW…OH MY GOD!!!.....PEOPLE…THE PEOPLE IN THE PLANE JUST BLEW UP IN THE TOWER <CRYING> THEY SAID IT IS A TERRORIST ATTACK!!” ….Baby, just calm down, we are going to head back…” ….”THEY SAY WE ARE UNDER ATTACK…OH MY GOD, BABY PLEASE COME BACK HOME….” By this time Our 1SG was on his phone receiving instructions to tear down base camp and our training operations and head back to our home unit in Giebalstadt, Germany. What took half a day to set up, only took about 15 minutes to tear down….all of a sudden our training exercise became real life….and just like that…everything changed.
A few days later we mobilized into Afghanistan, I was specially selected from my unit to finish Peace Keeping Operations in Camp Bonsteel, Kososvo. I laugh at the term peace keeping, my third day there a group of kids were playing soccer and accidently hit a land mine….i had seen death before, but never to a child, half alive…seemingly only moving by nerves…..I could only look at what once used to be a spry 8 year old boy, now a shell of his former self, a mangled mess……but this was also the first time I saw the resiliency of the human body. I was sure that he was going to die, his lifeless eyes rolling into the back of his head…. Blood gushing from his wounds….but he arrived at the hospital in time and two weeks later we got the confirmation he was going to live….
A few years later I found myself being stung in the face by sand, unable to see 2 feet in front of me…..trudging through a sand storm in the middle of Iraq, lost from what was north and what was south. It was hard to breath, the air was filled with flying granules….and even though my mouth was closed I could still crunch the sand in between my teeth, and I felt the granules in between my eye lids….luckily a truck pulled up beside me and I hopped in caked in this fine sand…
Yes everything changed that day…..but the more things change…the more they stay the same. From the moment we declared our independence, America has been strong, but being strong does not mean we are invincible. We were hit with a sucker punch, our hands were down and back turned, and much like that little boy I saw in Kosovo, we were down and bloodied, but not out. At a time when we could have folded, we took a deep breath and our eight count and brought the fight to them.
It’s been a great few weeks in boxing, from Triple G, Gennady Golovkin’s coming out party (he dismantled a game Prosksa) to Andre Wards dominating performance vs Current Light Heavy Weight Champion Bad Chad Dawson. In between we have found the next “most avoided man in boxing” Lucas Matthysee (140lbs) and another Vitali Win at heavyweight. It has been an exciting ride and will continue to gain momentum this weekend in Las Vegas when Sergio Martinez faces Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr. Right down the street from that fight we will have Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs Joselito Lopez in a154 lb bout.
But what does this all mean? We have boxing that is creating significant interest in the general population, and by all signs, Vegas is going to be crazy this weekend. From the business aspect, things seem to be looking up. There are great, competitive fights that fans are paying money to see. Chavez/Martinez is officially sold out. That says a lot about the boxing economy and the state of boxing in general. There is also a competing card right down the street that has sold nearly 20,000 tickets. There is definite momentum in the boxing business and really this is a time to capitalize, strike while the iron is hot. We know both Chavez and Martinez aren’t going to the ring to lose and the only thing I can see marring the weekend is one of those poorly judged decisions where the fans see the fight one way and the decision goes the other. Nothing is a bigger turn off. But like that young boy I saw in Kosovo, there was a time boxing seemed it was out, on its deathbed with less than competitive fights, over the top diva fighters, and less than honorable decisions. But boxing deserved more, the fans deserved more and boxing didn’t die, it grew stronger. It became not solely hinged on a Pacquiao or Mayweather fight, it grew bigger than that, because it had to. We needed it to. Boxing gave us a hint of survival and it was up to us to breathe life into its lungs. You see, what a lot of people fail to realize, is that we make boxing what it is. We have the power to make it whatever we want it to be, because at the end of the day, boxing is us, and if there was no us, there would be no boxing.
Predictions for this weekend,
We have some big fights coming up and the following are my predictions;
Saul Alvarez Vs Joselito Lopez – The other main attraction in Vegas this weekend, WBC Light Middleweight champion, Saul Alvarez will take on Joselito Lopez. Hanging in the balance of an Alvarez wins are lucrative bouts with either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Miguel Cotto. Once again Joselito will be playing spoiler to those plans, but may have bitten off more than he can chew. In what is possibly a career high payday for Lopez, he always comes to fight and never comes to lose.
Predictions: Saul Alvarez by TKO 8th Round
Too big, too strong, and too skilled for Joselito in a game effort
Matthew Macklin Vs Joachim Alcine - On the Martinez/Chavez Jr under-card, Mathew Macklin is looking to end his losing streak vs Joachim Alcine. Alcine is playing the role of sacrificial lamb to Macklin but I wouldn’t be so sure how much Alcine is buying into that role. Alcine has won his last two fights and seems to be getting better after moving up in weight after his destruction at the hands of Alfredo Angulo in the first round.
Predictions: Joachim Alcine by Decision
Alcine’s work rate and aggression will be the deciding factor and win the close rounds for him.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez Vs Troy Ross - IBF Cruiserweight champion, Yoan Pablo Hernandez will make the second defense of his title this weekend vs Troy Ross. Both have the power to knock each other out and both will certainly try. Ross has been a contender for some time but has been unable to get over the hump, this may be the fight that springboards him from contender status, but I doubt it.
Predictions: Yoan Pablo Hernandez by Decision
In a lackluster fight, Hernandez wins by an effective jab, staying out of the way of danger, and landing the cleaner, harder shots.
Jhonny Gonzalez Vs Daniel Ponce De Leon - The WBC Featherweight Title hangs in the balance and the bout is on the under-card of Saul Alvarez's fight with Joselito Lopez. This is a crossroads fight for both fighters as they are nearing the end of their careers. Given the two styles and the punching power involved, I see someone hitting the canvas at some point. The importance of this fight for both fighters will make it very exciting as neither wants to lose.
Predictions: Gonzalez by Decision
I just feel Jhonny has more in the tank at this point in his career and will win the championship rounds. It will be a great fan fight nonetheless.
Marcos Maidana Vs Jesus Soto Karass - Maidana is scheduled to have his second fight in the Welterweight division, his opponent is contender, Jesus Soto Karass. Maidana is on the redemption list after his lackluster showing vs Devon Alexander in his last fight. Karass has never fought for a world title, but will be coming to win on the night of the fight, and that extra motivation may be a key factor come fight time.
Predictions: Maidana by KO 9th Round
Karass wins rounds by his aggression and boxing against Maidana but eventually that will be his undoing as he will be getting hit too much and finally succumb to the power of the Argentinian.
Sergio Martinez Vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr – The fight of the night and reason Vegas is buzzing this weekend.
To this point it has been a strange journey for both fighters. Sergio Martinez is viewed as one of the best pound for pound boxers in the sport and he is facing a young lion in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. At this point last year, people would scoff at the notion of Chavez facing Martinez, but the fact Chavez has been facing quality opposition, and looking good in his wins have changed that perception. What hasn’t changed is the silver spoon mentality boxing has bestowed upon him. I feel a win vs Martinez will carve out a significant chunk of his legacy and erase the silver spoon mentality. Martinez is fighting with a chip on his shoulder as he made it here the hard way, fighting in different continents, different weight classes, and not handed anything in his career. It will be an amazing fight and the animosity between the two will lead to some great dramatics in the ring. Two Champions fighting each other and that is what boxing needs to make forward progress.
Predictions: Martinez by KO 8th Round
*Martinez is just too fast, too skilled and will come from angles Jr has never seen before. Jr is coming to win but Martinez has knocked out better fighters. He will have had enought by the 8th round.
The Standing 8 Count
Very Respectfully,
Q.Cardenas
Follow on Twitter @realboxingbuzz
…in the middle of the woods in Germany….
Laughing and joking with my buddies we were talking about how the junior enlisted (privates thru specialist) do all the work and what would happen if we decided to play a practical joke on the senior Command…..I was setting a perimeter of concertina and barbed wire around our base camp when our 1SG sent an urgent message and called us all in. We didn’t even get into a classic military formation; we just huddled around his tent. “Company, we may have to pack up early…..” We suddenly heard a crackling of a phone…our Operations Sgt was on the phone with his wife when he put the phone on speaker for all of us to hear. We all diverted our attention to the phone and his wife’s voice….”they think it was a crop duster thingy plane that hit the tower on accident…people are going berserk trying to figure it out, wait…OH MY GOD!!…OH MY GOD!!….OH MY GOD!! ANOTHER PLANE HIT THE OTHER TOWER….OH MY GOD…IT JUST HAPPENED RIGHT NOW…OH MY GOD!!!.....PEOPLE…THE PEOPLE IN THE PLANE JUST BLEW UP IN THE TOWER <CRYING> THEY SAID IT IS A TERRORIST ATTACK!!” ….Baby, just calm down, we are going to head back…” ….”THEY SAY WE ARE UNDER ATTACK…OH MY GOD, BABY PLEASE COME BACK HOME….” By this time Our 1SG was on his phone receiving instructions to tear down base camp and our training operations and head back to our home unit in Giebalstadt, Germany. What took half a day to set up, only took about 15 minutes to tear down….all of a sudden our training exercise became real life….and just like that…everything changed.
A few days later we mobilized into Afghanistan, I was specially selected from my unit to finish Peace Keeping Operations in Camp Bonsteel, Kososvo. I laugh at the term peace keeping, my third day there a group of kids were playing soccer and accidently hit a land mine….i had seen death before, but never to a child, half alive…seemingly only moving by nerves…..I could only look at what once used to be a spry 8 year old boy, now a shell of his former self, a mangled mess……but this was also the first time I saw the resiliency of the human body. I was sure that he was going to die, his lifeless eyes rolling into the back of his head…. Blood gushing from his wounds….but he arrived at the hospital in time and two weeks later we got the confirmation he was going to live….
A few years later I found myself being stung in the face by sand, unable to see 2 feet in front of me…..trudging through a sand storm in the middle of Iraq, lost from what was north and what was south. It was hard to breath, the air was filled with flying granules….and even though my mouth was closed I could still crunch the sand in between my teeth, and I felt the granules in between my eye lids….luckily a truck pulled up beside me and I hopped in caked in this fine sand…
Yes everything changed that day…..but the more things change…the more they stay the same. From the moment we declared our independence, America has been strong, but being strong does not mean we are invincible. We were hit with a sucker punch, our hands were down and back turned, and much like that little boy I saw in Kosovo, we were down and bloodied, but not out. At a time when we could have folded, we took a deep breath and our eight count and brought the fight to them.
It’s been a great few weeks in boxing, from Triple G, Gennady Golovkin’s coming out party (he dismantled a game Prosksa) to Andre Wards dominating performance vs Current Light Heavy Weight Champion Bad Chad Dawson. In between we have found the next “most avoided man in boxing” Lucas Matthysee (140lbs) and another Vitali Win at heavyweight. It has been an exciting ride and will continue to gain momentum this weekend in Las Vegas when Sergio Martinez faces Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr. Right down the street from that fight we will have Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs Joselito Lopez in a154 lb bout.
But what does this all mean? We have boxing that is creating significant interest in the general population, and by all signs, Vegas is going to be crazy this weekend. From the business aspect, things seem to be looking up. There are great, competitive fights that fans are paying money to see. Chavez/Martinez is officially sold out. That says a lot about the boxing economy and the state of boxing in general. There is also a competing card right down the street that has sold nearly 20,000 tickets. There is definite momentum in the boxing business and really this is a time to capitalize, strike while the iron is hot. We know both Chavez and Martinez aren’t going to the ring to lose and the only thing I can see marring the weekend is one of those poorly judged decisions where the fans see the fight one way and the decision goes the other. Nothing is a bigger turn off. But like that young boy I saw in Kosovo, there was a time boxing seemed it was out, on its deathbed with less than competitive fights, over the top diva fighters, and less than honorable decisions. But boxing deserved more, the fans deserved more and boxing didn’t die, it grew stronger. It became not solely hinged on a Pacquiao or Mayweather fight, it grew bigger than that, because it had to. We needed it to. Boxing gave us a hint of survival and it was up to us to breathe life into its lungs. You see, what a lot of people fail to realize, is that we make boxing what it is. We have the power to make it whatever we want it to be, because at the end of the day, boxing is us, and if there was no us, there would be no boxing.
Predictions for this weekend,
We have some big fights coming up and the following are my predictions;
Saul Alvarez Vs Joselito Lopez – The other main attraction in Vegas this weekend, WBC Light Middleweight champion, Saul Alvarez will take on Joselito Lopez. Hanging in the balance of an Alvarez wins are lucrative bouts with either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Miguel Cotto. Once again Joselito will be playing spoiler to those plans, but may have bitten off more than he can chew. In what is possibly a career high payday for Lopez, he always comes to fight and never comes to lose.
Predictions: Saul Alvarez by TKO 8th Round
Too big, too strong, and too skilled for Joselito in a game effort
Matthew Macklin Vs Joachim Alcine - On the Martinez/Chavez Jr under-card, Mathew Macklin is looking to end his losing streak vs Joachim Alcine. Alcine is playing the role of sacrificial lamb to Macklin but I wouldn’t be so sure how much Alcine is buying into that role. Alcine has won his last two fights and seems to be getting better after moving up in weight after his destruction at the hands of Alfredo Angulo in the first round.
Predictions: Joachim Alcine by Decision
Alcine’s work rate and aggression will be the deciding factor and win the close rounds for him.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez Vs Troy Ross - IBF Cruiserweight champion, Yoan Pablo Hernandez will make the second defense of his title this weekend vs Troy Ross. Both have the power to knock each other out and both will certainly try. Ross has been a contender for some time but has been unable to get over the hump, this may be the fight that springboards him from contender status, but I doubt it.
Predictions: Yoan Pablo Hernandez by Decision
In a lackluster fight, Hernandez wins by an effective jab, staying out of the way of danger, and landing the cleaner, harder shots.
Jhonny Gonzalez Vs Daniel Ponce De Leon - The WBC Featherweight Title hangs in the balance and the bout is on the under-card of Saul Alvarez's fight with Joselito Lopez. This is a crossroads fight for both fighters as they are nearing the end of their careers. Given the two styles and the punching power involved, I see someone hitting the canvas at some point. The importance of this fight for both fighters will make it very exciting as neither wants to lose.
Predictions: Gonzalez by Decision
I just feel Jhonny has more in the tank at this point in his career and will win the championship rounds. It will be a great fan fight nonetheless.
Marcos Maidana Vs Jesus Soto Karass - Maidana is scheduled to have his second fight in the Welterweight division, his opponent is contender, Jesus Soto Karass. Maidana is on the redemption list after his lackluster showing vs Devon Alexander in his last fight. Karass has never fought for a world title, but will be coming to win on the night of the fight, and that extra motivation may be a key factor come fight time.
Predictions: Maidana by KO 9th Round
Karass wins rounds by his aggression and boxing against Maidana but eventually that will be his undoing as he will be getting hit too much and finally succumb to the power of the Argentinian.
Sergio Martinez Vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr – The fight of the night and reason Vegas is buzzing this weekend.
To this point it has been a strange journey for both fighters. Sergio Martinez is viewed as one of the best pound for pound boxers in the sport and he is facing a young lion in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. At this point last year, people would scoff at the notion of Chavez facing Martinez, but the fact Chavez has been facing quality opposition, and looking good in his wins have changed that perception. What hasn’t changed is the silver spoon mentality boxing has bestowed upon him. I feel a win vs Martinez will carve out a significant chunk of his legacy and erase the silver spoon mentality. Martinez is fighting with a chip on his shoulder as he made it here the hard way, fighting in different continents, different weight classes, and not handed anything in his career. It will be an amazing fight and the animosity between the two will lead to some great dramatics in the ring. Two Champions fighting each other and that is what boxing needs to make forward progress.
Predictions: Martinez by KO 8th Round
*Martinez is just too fast, too skilled and will come from angles Jr has never seen before. Jr is coming to win but Martinez has knocked out better fighters. He will have had enought by the 8th round.
The Standing 8 Count
- TMT Promotions, the Promotional Company formed by 50 Cent has dissolved as quickly as it was formed. An apparent falling out by Floyd and 50 may be to blame. I was actually kind of excited to see what 50 could do for boxing, a different set of eyes always brings new pieces to the puzzle. Too bad.
- Manny Pacquiao has declared his next opponent on Dec 8th. None other than Juan Manual Marquez. There is a lot of backlash in the boxing community as to why JMM. For this fight to be relevant, Pac needs to go for the KO.
- There’s only one Ricky Hatton, and he may be coming back to the ring. He is currently going through his medicals to get approved for his Boxing License. Ricky has always been good for the sport and everyone loves a great comeback story. Best of Luck to Ricky and I wish him the best.
- Drama Alert: Apparently 50 Cent drops Floyd to pursue a boxing relationship with Manny Pacquiao? More to read here-----à http://www.boxinginsider.com/headlines/50-cent-ditches-floyd-mayweather-to-team-up-with-manny-pacquiao/
- Luca Matthysee is the new “Most Avoided Man In Boxing” and apparently Amir Khan is calling him out…..I don’t think that’s a good move for Khan
- Andre Wards dismantling of Bad Chad Dawson was spectacular, but how much did that have to do with Dawson draining himself to 168? Would a fight at 175 be any different? I would certainly watch it.
- A star is born, Triple G, Gennady Golovkin. Get used to the name because he will be around for a while. Speaking of which, he should be fighting the winner of Chavez-Martinez, hopefully.
Very Respectfully,
Q.Cardenas
Follow on Twitter @realboxingbuzz